Stirling, National Heroes and 'Son of a bitch'

Hiya,

The sunrise this morning was once again spectacular. The Scottish weather frog has forecasted continuous cloudiness with occasional rain showers for today.

Therefore, we decided to explore Stirling. Mr. Fü wanted to visit the William Wallace Monument again. Those of you who accompanied us on our last trips to Scotland know that we were last there 6 years ago.

Mrs. Google predicts a 48-minute journey, so we get in, buckle up, and head out.

Upon arriving at the William Wallace Monument, we climb the hill to the monument. The neo-Gothic, square tower is 67 meters tall and was erected in 1869 in memory of the Scottish freedom fighter William Wallace. Many know him by the name Braveheart as well. Of course, Mr. Fü couldn't resist climbing the 246 steps to the monument's tower. There he takes some fantastic photos. Due to my fear of heights, I unfortunately can't go up... *cough*. Honestly folks... I really have a fear of heights, but to be honest, I wouldn't be able to make the climb. 246 steps? Nope, not for me. After all, I didn't sign up for a stair marathon. Mr. Fü, of course, does it effortlessly... Show-off ;o)

When he returns, we begin our 'descent' and stop at a café at the foot of the hill for breakfast. Yep, we hadn't done that yet... so coffee, scones with cream and jam, and for Mr. Fü, a cinnamon bun. After that, we head to the Stirling Rail Station, which is supposed to have good parking and is close to the city. The parking lot is indeed very well located and inexpensive: just £3.50 for a whole day. The train station is also quite lovely to look at, and the Old Town of Stirling is impressive as well. There are so many beautiful old buildings to admire. We walked to Stirling Castle but didn't go inside. As mentioned, we had been here before and the castle was mega crowded today. We took a detour to the Old Town cemetery, which is directly next to the castle. I must admit, I've rarely seen a cemetery that impressed me so much (if I may say so). Then we continued to admire the old town. Eventually, our hunger led us to 'Monterey Jack's,' and folks... I tell you, if you're in Stirling and hungry, I can only recommend this restaurant. It's top-notch! The service is super friendly and the food is sensational. I opted for a 'Son of the bitch' and did not regret it. The 'Son of a bitch' is a mega-large hot dog in a St. Pierre sub-roll (so it's a hot dog bun, but a reaaaaally big one). Inside, there’s a giant bratwurst, pulled pork, BBQ sauce, coleslaw, and a slice of pickle. To be completely honest, it wasn’t just inside but was also skewered from the outside onto the sub-roll with knives. Mr. Fü was a bit jealous with his cheeseburger, but he got to enjoy the last third of my 'son of the bitch' because it was simply too much for me. Alongside, I had a raspberry rose soda with fresh raspberries. Sooo delicious. So, if you are in Stirling, visit Jack's... it's worth it :o))

From there, we moved our full bellies towards 'Bannockburn Battlefield.' At Bannockburn, the Scots won a decisive battle against the English in just 2 days in 1314. The Scottish army, led by Robert the Bruce, achieved a significant victory against the English army led by King Edward II. It was one of the decisive victories in the Scottish Wars of Independence. The losses for the English were much higher than those of the Scottish army. While between 5,000 - 7,000 soldiers on the English side lost their lives on the battlefield, it was only a few hundred for the Scots. The English retreated and the Scots had won. Nevertheless, Robert the Bruce was not recognized as king by Edward II. This only happened in 1328, after which he was also regarded as the Scottish king by the English. In Scotland, he was considered king of the Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329 and is still seen as the great liberator of Scotland today.

Then the day was already over, and we drove towards the hotel. Now we are going to enjoy a nice evening with a Guinness and wish you all a good night!

Chì mi thu sa mhadainn (until tomorrow)